China is a multiethnic
country, having 56 ethnic groups. The Han is the largest group, accounting
for over 92 percent of the national total population, while the remaining
55 ethnic groups, collectively called ethnic minorities, comprise less than
8 percent. Of them, the Zhuang is the largest ethnic minority group, with
a population of more than 15 million, and the Lhoba is the smallest, having
a population of 2,000 or so. The Hans are distributed all over China, though
living in compact communities in the Yellow, Yangtze and Pearl river valleys
and in the Songhuajiang-Liaohe Plain. The ethnic minorities inhabit 50-60
percent of the Chinese territory, despite their small population. The Han
people have their own spoken and written language, which is also the national
language of China, as well as one of the universally used languages in the
world. Hui and Manchu also use Han Chinese. The remaining 53 ethnic groups
normally use their own languages, 23 of which have a written form. Over
the ages, the Han people have established extensive political and economic
ties and cultural exchanges with various ethnic minorities and they have
formed an interdependent relationship for common development.

Han: With a population of about 1.159 billion, it forms the main body
of the Chinese nation. The Han people inhabit most regions in China, but
mainly live in the Yellow, Yangtze and Pearl river valleys. Han Chinese
is the common language of both Hans and the majority of ethnic minorities.

Mongolian: Comprising 4.8 million people, the former nomads now lead
a settled life. They mainly live in the Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uygur
autonomous regions, and Qinghai, Gansu, Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang
provinces.

Hui: An Islamic group with a population of 8.6 million. The Hui people
can be found in all parts of China though living in compact communities
in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Tibetan: Believing in Tibetan Buddhism, the group has a population of
5.08 million, with 2.42 million living in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Also distributed in Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan provinces, the
Tibetan people have their own spoken and written language.

Uygur: An Islamic group of 7.2 million people, mainly living in the Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region. The Uygur language they use adopts the alphabetic
system of Arabic alphabets.

Miao: A widely distributed group of 7.4 million people. Besides Guizhou,
Yunnan and Hunan provinces, which contain larger groups of Miao residents,
the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Sichuan, Hainan and Hubei provinces
also have areas inhabited by Miao people in compact communities.

Yi: One of the oldest ethnic groups in China, with a population of 6.5
million. The Yi people are mainly distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou
provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Zhuang: The largest ethnic minority group in China has a population of
15 million, with 13 million living in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
and the rest in the neighboring provinces of Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou
and Hunan.

Bouyei: Mainly inhabiting Guizhou Province, the group has a population
of 2.45 million.

Korean: A group of 1.9 million people. The Koreans mainly live in the
Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, though they can
also be found in Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces and the Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region.

Manchu: The second largest ethnic minority group in China has a population
of 9.82 million. The Manchu people come from the vast region between the
Changbai Mountain and the Heilongjiang River in northeast China.

Dong: A group of 2.5 million people, who are mainly distributed in Guizhou
and Hunan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Yao: A group of 2.13 million people. Mainly distributed in the Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hunan, Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Jiangxi
provinces, the Yao people have their own language.

Bai: A Buddhist group with a population of 1.6 million. Most of the Bai
people inhabit the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, with
the rest living in Guizhou, Sichuan and Hunan provinces.

Tujia: An old group of 5.7 million people living in Wuling Mountains
at the junction of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces.

Hani: With a population of 1.25 million, the Hani is an ethnic group
living and engaged in farming in mountains of Yunnan Province.

Kazakh: An Islamic people totaling 1.11 million. The Kazakh people are
mainly distributed in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Dai: A group of 1.02 million people inhabiting Xishuangbanna and some
other areas in Yunnan Province. Most of the Dai people are believers in
Hinayana (the Little Vehicle of Salvation) of Buddhism.

Li: A group of 1.11 million people, mainly distributed in central and
south Hainan Province.

Lisu: A group of 580,000 people inhabiting Yunnan and Sichuan provinces
in compact communities.

Wa: A group of 350,000 people mainly distributed in southwest Yunnan
Province.

She: A group of 630,000 people distributed in southeast China, with the
majority living in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.

Gaoshan: An old group of 340,000 people. With the majority living in
central mountains and eastern plains of Taiwan Province, the Gaoshan people
form the chief ethnic minority group on the island.

Lahu: A group of 410,000 people inhabiting the Lancangjiang River Valley
in southwest China.

Shui: A group of 340,000 people living mainly in Guizhou Province and
the west Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Dongxiang: A group of 370,000 people living in compact communities in
Gansu Province. The Dongxiang people can also be found in the Ningxia
Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions.

Jingpo: A group of 110,000 people. Forefathers of the Jingpo people labored
and lived in the south of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and later moved southward.
The group now inhabits some areas in Yunnan Province in compact communities.

Blang: A group of 80,000 people living mainly in the Xinshuangbanna Dai
Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.

Kirghiz: A group of 140,000 people, the former nomads now lead a settled
life, inhabiting mainly southwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Tu: A group living mainly in Qinghai and Gansu provinces, with a population
of 190,000.

Daur: A group of 120,000 people mainly distributed along the banks of
the Nenjiang River, northeast China.

Mulam: A group of 150,000 people living mainly in the Luocheng Mulam
Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Qiang: A group of 190,000 people living in compact communities in the
Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Records of
the group can be found on unearthed bones and tortoise shells with inscriptions
of the Yin Dynasty over 3,000 years ago.

Salar: A group inhabiting Qinghai and Gansu provinces, with a population
of 90,000.

Tajik: A group inhabiting the Pamirs Plateau in southwest Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, with a population of 30,000. The Tajik people are mainly
engaged in animal husbandry as well as farming.

Maonan: A group of 70,000 people mainly distributed in Huanjiang County,
the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Gelao: A group living mainly in Guizhou Province, with a population of
430,000.

Xibe: A group of 170,000 people mainly distributed in Liaoning, Jilin
and Heilongjiang provinces, with some living in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region. Most of the Xibe people are believers in Lamaism.

Achang: A group of 20,000 living in compact communities in the Dehong
Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.

Pumi: A group living mainly in Yunnan Province, with a population of
20,000. Forefathers of the Pumi people moved to Yunnan from the remote
northwest, making the group one of the ethnic minorities migrating the
longest distance.

Nu: A group of 20,000 people living mainly along the banks of the Nujiang
River in Yunnan Province and practicing a kind of primitive religion.

Uzbek: A group of 14,000 people mainly distributed in the Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region.

Russian: A group of 13,000 people, with the majority living in the Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region and the rest scattered in Heilongjiang Province
and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Ewenki: A group of 26,000 people mainly distributed in Hulun Buir League,
the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and in some counties of Heilongjiang
Province. The Ewenki is the only ethnic group in China raising the reindeer.

Naxi: A group living mainly in Lijiang area of Yunnan Province, with
a population of 270,000. The Dongba Script created by the Naxi people
more than 1,000 years ago is now the only well preserved pictographic
writing in the world.

Bonan: A group living in Gansu Province, with a population of 12,000.
Compared with others, it is a new ethnic group formed through constant
association and intermarriage between the Islamic Mongols and the Hui,
Han, Tibetan and Tu peoples since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

De'ang: A group living in Yunnan Province, with a population of 15,000.
The De'ang people have a long-standing textile tradition using bombax
cotton as raw material.

Yugur: A group of 12,000 people mainly distributed in the Sunan Yugur
Autonomous County, Gansu Province, and in Qilian County, Qinghai Province.

Tatar: An Islamic group of 4,000 people living mainly in the Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region.

Lhoba: Comprising merely 2,000 people, it is the smallest ethnic minority
group in China. Living in Nyingchi, the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Lhoba
people practice primitive religion and use spoken and written Tibetan
language.

Jino: A group living in the Xinshuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture,
Yunnan Province, with a population of 18,000.

Derung: A group of 5,000 people inhabiting in compact communities along
the banks of Dulong River in Yunnan Province.

Oroqen: A group living mainly in Hulun Buir League, the Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region, with a population of 6,000.

Hezhen: A group of 4,000 people living along the banks of Songhuajiang,
Heilongjiang and Wusulijiang rivers. The Hezhen is the only ethnic group
in China mainly engaged in fishing.

Moinba: A group of 7,000 people mainly distributed in the Tibet Autonomous
Region, who use Tibetan language besides their own spoken form.

Gin: A group of 18,000 people living in the Beibu Gulf area, south Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region. With the main body of the ethnic group in Viet
Nam, the Gin people have their own language.